“Madam, just keep looking at me.”

On the 14^th of May, it was my sister’s 25^th birthday. Very unlike me, I hadn’t gotten her a birthday card or specific present, so on my way home from a friend’s, I stopped to get her an ice cream cake (I thought it might be a nice change from the conventional vanilla and chocolate birthday cake we typically have at my house). There were only a few spaces in the ice cream shop’s parking lot, and I happened to choose the most difficult-to-maneuvre-into spot. 

As the front of the car I was driving is quite wide, I was trying my best not to hit the car parked next to me or scratch the side on the concrete pavement. Fortunately, there were two security guards available to help me ease the car into the tricky space. Although I had two very capable helpers, I found myself attempting to get the car in with my own ‘wisdom’. At a particular point, one security guard said to me, “Madam, don’t look to the side. Just keep looking at me.”

For some reason his words stuck with me, and as an over-analyser, I kept thinking about it on my short journey home. Instead of focusing my attention on those who were far better able to direct me, I tried to control the situation with my own understanding. As I ruminated over it, I discovered that many times, that’s how we deal with God. 

He’s always present, perfectly capable of guiding us and steering us away from harm, but many times we choose to rely on our on understanding and ability, which is wholly insignificant compared to God’s. I believe God used that tiny situation in the parking lot to teach me a truly valuable lesson about dependence on and trust in Him, however tempting it might be to want to take things into my own hands.


Kunmi x